SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii -- As part of their work up training for an upcoming deployment to Iraq, Marines of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, took to the East Ranges aboard Schofield Barracks, Jan. 10, to take part in convoy training.
“We are starting our pre-deployment training and today is really teaching the Marines the basics of convoy training,” said Capt. Quintin D. Jones, company commander, Lima Company, 3/3. “They are being taught how to perform pre-combat inspections for vehicles and for their patrols.
“We are also forming vehicle teams for the companies so every platoon has the capability of having a mobile assault platoon.”
According to Jones, of the 78 Marines who took part in the training, roughly 50 of the Marines are new to Lima Company and have not yet deployed.
As the four convoys that traveled through a four-mile course, Marines were tasked with identifying improvised explosive devices, as well as getting used to the different vehicles that they may not have had the opportunity to work with before.
“It’s just an adjustment for the new Marines doing the prac ap and being able to identify an IED, knowing the explosive range of one, looking for trigger wires and not getting in the kill zone,” said Lance Cpl. Lorenzo C. Reid, team leader, weapons platoon, Lima Company, 3/3. “These Marines are ground pounders just out of SOI [School of Infantry] and they don’t know a lot about the mobile transport side. It’s a whole different aspect but they’re instincts kicked in and they’re doing good for a first time. They just need to be fine tuned.”
Reid, a native of Greensboro, N.C., has been with Lima Company since 2004 and has been to both Iraq and Afghanistan with the unit. The 22-year-old was evaluating the Marines as the convoys went through the course.
“The Marines need to learn the little basic tactics we all need to survive in combat,” said Reid. “They need to be a jack of all trades, being able to perform well when thrown in any situation.”
Pfc. Aron W. Legg, rifleman, 1st platoon, Lima Company, 3/3, has been with the company under two months and this was the first convoy training for him.
“We did a little bit of it in SOI, but it was nothing like this,” said the native of Lexington, Ala. “I can say I’ve already learned a lot in these past twenty minutes. It’s a lot of knowledge all at once but the Marines who have been deployed before make sure we know what we are doing and how to do it. They also let us know what we do wrong and how to correct it.”
“For their first convoy op they’re doing an outstanding job,” said Lance Cpl. Julio C. Montemayor, squad leader, 1st squad, 1st platoon, Lima Company, 3/3. “They’re motivated and move when you tell them to. We ask them to give 110 percent, and that’s exactly what all of them are doing.”
Lance Cpl. Justin W. Lowe, team leader, 2nd squad, 1st platoon, Lima Company, 3/3, has also been deployed with Lima in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and said the Marines are catching on quick to what they need to learn before the deployment.
“The Marines literally learned five to ten minutes prior to going out what V-sweeps and a short security halts among other things were before having to go out and do them,” said the native of Tampa, Fla. “They paid attention, went out with confidence and did the best they could. These guys are always willing to learn and respond very well to pressure.”
The 21-year-old said the Marines just need to get out of the boot camp mindset because they tend to move to fast without thinking on what they are doing, and that can have drastic outcomes in a combat environment.
“Something I told them that my team leader told me is to ‘look professional, feel professional, act professional.’ I’ve always lived by that since he told me and hopefully they apply it to what they are doing. From what I’ve seen so far though they’ll be 110 percent ready by the time we get there.”
Upcoming training for the Marines will include convoy simulation training aboard Schofield Barracks in which the Marines will be in a simulator that will present to them different scenarios that will force the Marines to react to different threats.
“Right now the Marines have the mindset and focus they need to get ready for Iraq. For that superbowl,” said Reid. “There’s no practice out there, it’s on.”